Sheet pile



Oct. 13, 1964 L. MULLER 3,152,450

' SHEET PILE Filed July 22, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H -r do lfl Jnvqnfor: LupN/G MULLE United States Patent 3,152,450 SHEET PILE Ludwig Miiller, Heinrich-Heine Strasse 41, Marburg an der Lahn, Germany Filed July 22, 196i), Ser. No. 44,765 Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 28, 1955 6 Claims. (Cl. 61-5358) The present invention relates to sheet piles and to sheet pilings or bulkheads erected from such sheet piles.

The present application is a continuation-in-part application denived from my copending application, Serial No. 572,595 filed March 19, 1956 and matured as Patent 2,952,130 issued September 13, 1960.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved sheet pile which can be driven into the ground with less force and within less time than heretofore required for driving conventional sheet piles of comparable dimensions. This advantage is attained by providing on the leading end of the sheet pile a transversely enlarged foot, the action of which materially reduces the frictional resistance against the ground experienced by the sheet pile when being driven.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved sheet pile, the resistance of which to the corrosive action of the ground or water surrounding the driven sheet pile is greatly increased by encasing the sheet pile in suitable hardening material such as concrete.

Still another object \of the invention is to provide a novel and improved sheet pile which after completion of the installation is capable of transmitting to the ground into which it has been driven, considerably higher loads than was heretofore possible.

It is also an object of the invention, allied with the preceding ones, to provide a novel and improved sheet piling or bulkhead composed of several sheet piles according to the invention. Such bulkhead combines high load carrying capacity with ease of erection due to the afore-explained advantages of the specific features of the pile sheets from which the piling or bulkhead is formed.

According to a still further object of the invention, the bulkhead is further strengthened by providing a sheathing parallel to the bulkhead spaced apart therefrom and filling the cavity thus defined with concrete or other suitable hardening cementitious material. Such reinforced bulkhead is especially suitable for erection at the edge of a body of water and the sheathing is then placed on the side of the bulkhead facing the water.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims constituting part of the application.

In the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational sectional view of a sheet pile according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line IIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line IIIIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged elevational section of the lower part of FIG. 1, turned through an angle of 90.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross section of a completed sheet piling or bulkhead according to the invention.

FIG. 6 is an elevational side view of the lower part of a sheet pile, and

FIG. 7 is a front view of FIG. 6.

Referring now to the figures in detail, the exemplified sheet pile comprises a channeled pile shaft 1 preferably made of steel and terminating at its end in inwardly turned flanges 1. A generally wedge-shaped, transversely enlarged foot 3 terminating in a chisel 2 is secured to the leading end of pile shaft 1 by means of an angle iron 4 welded to the sheet pile as can be clearly seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. Along the length of the sheet pile clearing lugs 5 and 6 are secured, for instance, by welding or other suitable means. The number and spacing of the lugs are selected in accordance with the total length of the pile shaft. Each lug 5 is formed by a steel plate which is braced against the pile shaft by means of struts 7. Lugs 6 have a generally U shaped cross section and are secured by means of struts 8 to the side of pile shaft 1 opposite to that to which lugs 5 are secured. Lugs 5 and 6 accommodate feed pipes 9 for cementitious material. The pipes extend into foot 3 which has discharge ports 3' in its side walls. In order to locate pipes 9 within the cavities circumscribed by the lugs, suitable locating means such as small blocks are preferably provided.

During the driving operation, which should be visualized as being effected in a conventional manner by applying a pile driver to the trailing end of the pile shaft, chisel 2 and foot 3 will clear all obstructions in the path of the pile shaft and the foot will form a clearance along the length of the pile shaft 1 as the driving operation progresses whereby the pile shaft can follow the foot into the ground without substantial contact friction between the walls of pile shaft 1 and the surrounding soil layers. Lugs 5 and 6 will push aside any soil or other solids which may tend to re-enter the clearance formed by foot 3 thus more or less reclosing the clearance. After the desired driving depth has been reached, cementitious material such as concrete or grout is fed down pipes 9 at a substantially elevated pressure. Pressure feeding devices suitable for the purpose are well known in the arm. The cementitious material will first fill the hollow foot. Pipes 9 are gradually or stepwise lifted while the feeding of cementitious material is continued and as a result the material will continuously flow out into the clearance gradually filling the same from the bottom up. Due to the pressure feed the cementitious material will also to a certain extent penetrate into the surrounding soil layers thereby keying the sheet pile to the ground. Finally the cementitious material will reach the ground level and an overflow of the material on the ground is a sure indication that the entire clearance has been filled, or that, in other Words, the entire part of the sheet pile driven into the ground is encased with cementitious material.

Instead of lifting pipes 9 for the purpose of feeding, the pipes can also be fixedly secured to the pile shaft, for instance, by a screw joint or electro-welding. The piles then become a permanent part of the installation. The clearance will be gradually filled in such arrangement by the cementitious material discharged through ports 3' and/or lateral openings in pipes 9.

In the event a sheet piling or bulkhead is to be erected in water and it is desirable that the part of the bulkhead above the ground but still below the level of water is also to be encased with concrete or other suitable material a sheathing 10 is erected on the ground on the side of the bulkhead which faces the water. The sheathing is placed spaced apart from the bulkhead proper as is indicated in FIG. 5 and the cavity left between the sheathing and the bulkhead is then also filled with concrete. The filling of this cavity can be effected by means of feed pipes 9 disposed on opposite sides of the webs of the pile shafts. The peripheral outline of each pile foot is indicated by dotted lines. Generally it is advisable to use a lower feed pressure for filling the cavity behind sheathing 10. The concrete, due to its higher specific weight, will gradually displace the water above it while rising from the bottom without mixing with the water if the feeding is effected in a careful manner.

Instead of the illustrated channeled sheet piles, box

pilings and otherwise shaped members combined with sheet piles can be driven and anchored in a similar manner by providing an enlarged foot at the leading end and encasing the driven member with the cementitious material in the manner heretofore described.

Depending upon the specific properties of the ground and the profile of the pile shafts each pile shaft may be equipped with an enlarged foot extending across the entire width of the pile shaft or with several pile feet of smaller width. The number of the pipes used for forming the concrete jackets about the pile shafts is also determined by the profile of the pile shaft.

The invention makes it conveniently possible to erect permanent sheet pilings or bulkheads in highly aggressive ground since the sheet piles are protected against direct attack by acids, etc., by the casing surrounding the finished piling. The material used for forming the casing can be made resistant against attack by acids, etc. by additives well known for the purpose.

A further advantage of the invention is that in a sheet piling or bulkhead according to the invention the joints between the individual piles are sealed by the concrete casing along the parts that are driven into the ground. Such sealing is particularly advantageous when the sheet piling constitutes part of a dam since the pressure of the dammed up water now encounters a very high resistance to penetration into the structure due to the presence of the concrete casing. Finally a sheet piling according to the invention due to its concrete anchor is capable of transmitting to the ground considerably higher loads than a conventional sheet piling merely driven into the ground.

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a certain now preferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modifications in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A sheet pile comprising a lengthwise, substantially U-channeled pile shaft having a substantially plane base web and substantially plane outwardly slanted side walls, a generally wedge-shaped hollow pile foot having feed and discharge openings and secured to the leading end of said pile shaft aligned therewith, said pile foot, projected on a plane transverse of the shaft axis, having a peripheral outline extending beyond the width of the base web of the pile shaft but being short of the peripheral outline defined by the longitudinal edges of the side walls of the shaft to provide clearance for the pile foot of an adjacent pile of said pile shaft, a feed pipe for feeding cementitious material disposed along the lengthwise space defined by said channeled pile shaft and terminating adjacent to a feed opening of said foot, and guide means on said pile shaft slidably guiding the feed pipe along the shaft.

2. A sheet pile according to claim 1 wherein clearing lugs for pushing aside soil and solid objects are secured to the pile shaft in longitudinal spacing, said lugs each including an opening lengthwise of the pile shaft, and said feed pipe extending through said opening.

3. A sheet pile according to claim 1 wherein clearing lugs are secured to said pile shaft, said lugs extending transversely from opposite sides of the base web of the pile shaft and each including an opening lengthwise of the pile shaft, said feed pipe being extended through each of said openings.

4-. A sheet pile according to claim 1 wherein the longitudinal edges of the side walls of the pile shaft define interlocking means for side walls of adjacent shafts, said interlocking means protruding outwardly in reference to the lengthwise channel defined by the pile shaft.

5. A sheet piling assembly comprising several sheet piles disposed lengthwise side by side, each sheet pile comprising a lengthwise, substantially U-channeled pile shaft having a substantially plane base web and substantially plane outwardly slanted side walls, the open channel sides of adjacent pile shafts facing in opposite directions, each of said side walls terminating in a hook portion extending outwardly from the respective side wall along the length thereof, the hook portions of each pile shaft facing in opposite directions and being interlocked with the respective hook portions of the adjacent pile shafts, a generally wedge-shaped hollow pile foot having feed and discharge openings secured to the leading end of each pile shaft aligned therewith, each pile foot, pro- 'ected on a plane transverse of the axis of the respective pile shaft, having a peripheral outline extending beyond the width of the base web of the respective pile shaft but being short of the peripheral outline defined by the outer longitudinal edges of said hook portions to provide clearance for the pile foot of the next adjacent pile shaft, and feed pipes for feeding cementitious material to the foot disposed on opposite sides of the web of each pile shaft along the length thereof and terminating adjacent to a feed opening of the respective pile foot.

6. A sheet piling assembly according to claim 5 and comprising a sheathing disposed generally parallel to the general plane of the sheet piling assembly to define a cavity between the sheet piling assembly and the sheathing, said cavity being adapted to be filled with cementitious material fed through said feed pipes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 225,061 Johnson Mar. 2, 1880 1,026,144 Bignell May 14, 1912 1,063,185 Conkling June 3, 1913 1,366,460 Howell Ian. 25, 1921 1,632,545 Gillen June 14, 1927 1,907,654 Newman May 9, 1933 2,032,243 Wolff Feb. 25, 1936 2,146,645 Newman Feb. 7, 1939 2,162,108 Newman June 13, 1939 2,323,772 Hood July 6, 1943 2,673,453 Templeton Mar. 30, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 143,453 Great Britain May 27, 1920 949,850 France Mar. 7, 1949 OTHER REFERENCES Engineering Record, page 101; Feb. 12, 1916. 

1. A SHEET PILE COMPRISING A LENGTHWISE, SUBSTANTIALLY U-CHANNELED PILE SHAFT HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANE BASE WEB AND SUBSTANTIALLY PLANE OUTWARDLY SLANTED SIDE WALLS, A GENERALLY WEDGE-SHAPED HOLLOW PILE FOOT HAVING FEED AND DISCHARGE OPENINGS AND SECURED TO THE LEADING END OF SAID PILE SHAFT ALIGNED THEREWITH, SAID PILE FOOT, PROJECTED ON A PLANE TRANSVERSE OF THE SHAFT AXIS, HAVING A PERIPHERAL OUTLINE EXTENDING BEYOND THE WIDTH OF THE BASE WEB OF THE PILE SHAFT BUT BEING SHORT OF THE PERIPHERAL OUTLINE DEFINED BY THE LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF THE SIDE WALLS OF THE SHAFT TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE FOR THE PILE FOOT OF AN ADJACENT PILE OF SAID PILE SHAFT, A FEED PIPE FOR FEEDING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL DISPOSED ALONG THE LENGTHWISE SPACE DEFINED BY SAID CHANNELED PILE SHAFT AND TERMINATING ADJACENT TO A FEED OPENING OF SAID FOOT, AND GUIDE MEANS ON SAID PILE SHAFT SLIDABLY GUIDING THE FEED PIPE ALONG THE SHAFT. 